Debates of Feb. 1st, 2013

Employment

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, there were major job losses in Canada yesterday with the closure of Best Buy, Future Shop and other retail operations. The sales staff in those stores were largely young people; smart, tech savvy and getting their first job experience. Now, those jobs are gone, hundreds of them.

At a time when youth employment remains at punishing recession-like levels, draining more than $1 billion every year from Canadian incomes, what new initiatives is the government prepared to launch to give some hope and some help to jobless young Canadians?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, this government has brought forward a comprehensive job strategy to help all Canadians move back into the labour force. The good news is that more than 900,000 Canadians have found work since the bottom of the recession.

Statistics Canada released economic growth numbers for November and the economy grew well in November, but there is still much work to be done. We are going to build on initiatives that we have made such as the youth employment strategy, which has helped 50,000 students; a permanent increase to Canada's summer job program, which helped 36,000 students; the pathways to education program, which helped 10,000. However, every single time we stood up to help young people, the Liberal Party voted against these important measures.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, despite that spin, 225,000 fewer young Canadians are working today than before the recession, 45,000 more are jobless, and 185,000 more have just given up altogether. For young Canadians, there is still a recession.

Will the government stop increasing job-killing EI payroll taxes at the rate of $600 million every year and will it provide specific incentives to hire young Canadians, especially in their first jobs? Will those things be in the budget?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I can confirm to all members of the House and to all Canadians that job creation and economic growth for every single Canadian looking for a job will continue to be the centrepiece of this government's economic strategy.

When it comes to young people, we have one of the lowest youth unemployment rates in the G7. If we look at some countries in Europe, they have staggering youth unemployment numbers. As long as there is a single young person in Canada looking for work, this government will remain focused on ensuring that they have the dignity of a job and the pride of independence.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, even worse than young Canadians, the education and job numbers for aboriginal people are appalling. That is partly because the government has a cap on the number of first nation youth who can get into post-secondary education every year, and the federal investment in the K to 12 learning of first nation children on reserve is only a fraction of what provincial governments invest per child in non-aboriginal kids. No amount of jiggery-pokery with the arithmetic will change that hard fact.

Will the government fix both the gap and the cap in this year's budget?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, this government has a strong record when it comes to supporting aboriginal Canadians. We have helped fund over 100,000 first nation students. We are consulting with first nations on a first nation education act. We have built or renovated 260 schools on reserve in this country. We are focused on improving the lives of aboriginal Canadians, and just as important, on improving accountability and transparency. However, the Liberal Party has not supported our efforts in that regard.

Intergovernmental Affairs

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Employment insurance reform will be a central issue at the meeting between the Conservative Prime Minister and the Quebec premier. Since the changes were announced, workers have been protesting throughout Quebec to criticize the Conservatives. They did not consult the provinces before making their changes; that is the minister's job.

What will the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs do to resolve this problem that the Conservatives have created?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, the employment insurance reforms are designed to help people find work within their skill set and in their region.

The employment insurance system has been under federal jurisdiction since 1940. We want to continue working with all of the province to meet our common goal of creating jobs.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I take it that since the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs will not take to his feet and answer questions about intergovernmental affairs, it means he is doing his job as well in the new year as he was in the last. The Prime Minister meets with the Premier of Quebec today on the heels of breaking news about troubling quotas being put on the backs of Canadians who need their services. This is on top of previous decisions to reduce eligibility and cut benefits.

Given that he has not consulted the provinces, can the minister tell us if the Prime Minister will ask the Premier of Quebec today for her views on Conservative cuts and quotas to the employment insurance program?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, to set the record straight, I am the minister responsible for employment insurance. I can say that we are making it more responsive to the needs of Canadians who want to find work. We are helping them identify those jobs.

As for the rest of what the member said, let us face it, there are no individual quotas for employees of HRSDC who are looking at EI. If it were up to the opposition, then the only people who would lose out are those who are paying into the system and following the rules. The opposition does not want us to root out the fraud in the system.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, just before Christmas the minister announced consultations would start on first nation education. Dates and locations for these meetings were picked by the staff at the department and published on the website. Now first nation educators are saying they would like some of those dates to be moved to allow them more time to develop their proposals, but the government answer is no.

Improving economic outcomes for all aboriginal peoples depends on a respectful relationship. Is this how the government works with willing partners?

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, in December the minister launched an intensive consultation process that will take place with first nation parents, students, leaders and educators from coast to coast to coast. The first of these intensive consultation sessions took place last week.

The minister has written to every community to invite them to these sessions. Their input will be critical to the development and planning of a first nation education act, which will help ensure that first nation students have the same ability and access to a quality education as every other student in Canada.

[Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, NDP, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in order to rebuild the relationship with aboriginal peoples, concrete action is needed. That is what we proposed yesterday in our motion: to make aboriginal issues a priority in budget 2013. However, the Prime Minister did not make this a priority in his speech to his caucus.

For the sake of clarification, can the minister responsible tell us if he supports this motion and if he will put words into action?

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, much like economic action plan 2012, budget 2013 will focus on jobs and opportunities for all Canadians, including first nations.

The protection of aboriginal treaty rights and consultation with aboriginals are recognized in our Constitution and our statutes. Canada has accepted the declaration describing the aspirations of aboriginal peoples, and this represents an important step towards strengthening relationships with aboriginal peoples.

We continue to make significant investments in the lives of first nations people.

Arctic Council

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Mr. Speaker, with the chairmanship of the Arctic Council, it looks like the Conservatives may once again tarnish Canada's reputation on the world stage. The effects of climate change and the massive loss of Arctic sea ice are creating urgent issues in the Arctic, which require international co-operation. However, last week in Norway the Arctic minister said Canada's focus will be on business.

Why is the government wasting the world's time by using this important forum to advance corporate interests?

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, this is coming from a member who openly mused last week in Yellowknife, where I was, that the Northwest Territories did not need any more jobs.

Canada's north is home to world-class reserves of natural resources. This represents tremendous economic potential, not just for northerners but for all Canadians. That is why we are working with aboriginal groups, the territorial governments and the private sector to ensure those resources are developed in a sustainable manner.

We have strong laws and regulatory frameworks to protect our environment in the north. We want northerners to be able to benefit today and for generations to come from jobs and economic growth in the north.

Ethics

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the official opposition is quite pleased that the minister for science and innovation reversed course on his policy of hiding the details of a $20 million government loans program. Of course, this happened only after the Conservatives were caught red-handed by the NDP.

Now that the minister has decided, or appears, to embrace transparency, will he inform the House what other programs or funds he needs to give full disclosure on?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the independent community futures development corporations have been around for 25 years. These corporations are subject to contribution agreements with the government and are subject also to audits.

However, on the question of jobs, we have had in this country almost a million net new jobs since July 2009. The OECD and the IMF have said that Canada will be among the leaders in the G7. Taxes are going down and jobs are going up.

[Denis Blanchette, NDP, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister responsible for the southern Ontario fund for investment in innovation defended his $20 million slush fund. However, the NDP's questions made the minister realize that its concerns were justified, and he decided to do an about-face. Finally, a Conservative minister who is willing to listen to NDP advice about transparency for a change.

Why did they set up this slush fund? And why did they insist on defending the indefensible in the House yesterday?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, these organizations have been around for 25 years, are subject to audits and are held to account.

However, on the broader question of job creation, we have a low-tax plan for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity, which is succeeding across this country. It is the reason the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the Canadian miracle is something that Americans and the rest of the world need to follow.

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, Canadians are fed up with the succession of Conservative ministers who get caught with their hands in the cookie jar and do not even get a rap on the knuckles for their blatant ethics violations.

The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner also believes that this farce has gone on long enough and wants more powers to impose penalties. She is not asking for a study, she is asking for real powers.

Will the Conservatives grant her request?

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, it was our government, in fact, that created the Conflict of Interest Act, after 13 years of Liberal scandals and mismanagement. We look forward to reviewing recommendations from the ethics committee once the report is completed.

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the rules are not worth the paper they are written on if they are not enforced, and that is where the government is at.

They may claim that ministerial ethics rules should not apply to Conservative ministers, but the Conflict of Interest Act and the Prime Minister's guidelines for ministers have specific rules laid out. The Ethics Commissioner has made it clear that the Conservatives broke those rules. Canadians deserve much better from their ministers.

Since the House leader will not explain this rule breaking, will he explain, now, how a minister writing on behalf of a Conservative donor who does not live in his riding is the job of a local MP?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I read letters from the member for Timmins—James Bay, the party's ethics critic and the party's heritage critic, supporting an application from AVR Radio. They did this after the executive vice-president and the president of AVR Radio made financial contributions to the NDP. I do not believe these executives from AVR Radio live in either of their constituencies. Perhaps the member should examine those questions.

Employment Insurance

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has agreed to compensate the provinces for the seniors who are forced to turn to social assistance as a result of the government's disastrous plan to change the age of eligibility for old age security to 67. Similarly, it must also agree to compensate the provinces for employment insurance, since its attack on seasonal workers will push many of them to social assistance.

Will the provinces yet again be stuck with the bill for this government's anti-social policies?